


Psycho Pass: No Laughing Matter

by SoelleKhiss



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Anime, F/M, Fanfiction, Magic Mike Tribute, Manga, Psychopass, Romance, Shinkane - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 03:56:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13942065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoelleKhiss/pseuds/SoelleKhiss
Summary: The limited civil rights of latent criminals is called into question in this darkly humorous sketch of the mental care industry under the Sibyl System. Inspector Akane Tsunemori is charged with escorting Enforcer Shinya Kogami to a local clinic for some routine blood work, but what happens when they arrive is anything but routine.





	Psycho Pass: No Laughing Matter

“ _If you’re treated a certain way you become a certain kind of person.”_ —James Baldwin

It was nearly midmorning and the Ministry of Welfare’s Public Safety Bureau was experiencing a lull. The traffic in the hallway was unusually light as whole Divisions were given the option to go home for the day rather than remain on duty. Inspector Akane Tsunemori hurried down the corridor toward the cafeteria. By her reckoning, she was five minutes late, and the last thing she wanted was to be tardy after her senior colleague, Inspector Ginoza, had summoned her

Akane was still cutting her teeth as an MWPSB Inspector in Division 1, and while she had made a name for herself among her more veteran colleagues in the Bureau, she often felt like a tagalong or worse, a burden, to Ginoza. Despite a successful series of closed out cases, he rarely gave her the praise she felt that she rightfully deserved, but was relentless in his criticism.

Maneuvering through the corridor, Akane smiled and nodded to acknowledge her peers while hurriedly passing them in the hall. A quiet day on the CID floor, meant that the cafeteria would be crowded. Akane scanned the packed room, looking from table to table for a familiar face. As she suspected, Ginoza was sitting alone in a corner by the plate-glass window.

“Inspector Ginoza,” she greeted him. Bowing respectfully, she tried to discern his mood. His face was generally devoid of emotion, except for his usual scowl. When he wasn’t scowling, he was a handsome man with chiseled features and green eyes, but his cool professionalism made him somewhat unapproachable, even intimidating.

“Inspector Tsunemori, you’re late.” Ginoza calmly sipped at a steaming cup of tea. Never looking up at her, he continued reviewing case files on his wristcom, which was sitting on the table in front of him.

“About that, sir, I was in a meeting with Inspector Takizawa from Division 10. My apologies.” She bowed to him again to make amends for her tardiness.

The refined face beneath the meticulously groomed black hair never changed, remaining undisturbed like a winter lake. He made no reply or acknowledgement of her explanation, and just simply sipped at his tea.

“Inspector Ginoza, I apologize—“

“I heard you first time, Inspector Tsunemori.” Ginoza set down his tea cup and looked up at her with those distant, green eyes. “Kogami had his annual physical yesterday.”

Akane felt her chest tighten. Kogami had recently returned from a case being investigated by Division 5. They were known for tackling particularly violent crimes in the abolitionist wards. “Is he injured?”

“No. All Enforcers are required to submit to an annual physical to ascertain their fitness for duty. It’s standard operating procedure. But he’ll need to have some blood work done.”

“Did the physicians find something wrong?”

“It’s routine, but as you well know, nothing’s ever routine when it comes to Enforcer Kogami. So you’ll need to take him to Sato Medical Care Centre to have the blood drawn there.”

“An army of MWPSB medical personnel and not one of them can draw Kogami’s blood?”

“You might say, he has a reputation for being a bit...difficult.”

Kogami was rarely vulnerable, a virtual pillar of indomitable will and strength. There was not much that made the Enforcer falter. Are you trying to tell me that Mr. Kogami is afraid of needles?”

“No, but there is a reason that Inspectors deal directly with Enforcers, Inspector Tsunemori. We are trained to know what and who they are, but even we are not invulnerable. Our psycho passes can become quite clouded by our association with them. Imagine what that must be like for the uninitiated.”

“What makes Kogami so difficult?” Akane was having a hard time seeing the Enforcer as anything but compliant, even when he was reluctant to follow through on an order that he disagreed with or felt led in the wrong direction.

“Kogami’s insubordination is consistent at all levels.” 

“But he would never hurt someone. Not intentionally.”

“Latent criminals need not physically injure someone to do them harm, Inspector. The dangerous taint of their presence is more than enough, which is why we have isolation facilities.”

“So you’re saying interaction with an Enforcer can cause a civilian’s stress levels to increase?”

Barely raising his eyes from the holofeed, Ginoza continued scrolling through the files on his wristcom. “Not just civilians. Inspectors are just as susceptible. Kogami is living proof of that fact.”

“If you’re hinting that my psycho pass has somehow been affected by Kogami, you’re wrong!”

“Not all of us are possessed of an ironclad hue, Inspector Tsunemori.”

_Is he trying to frighten me? Is this jealousy? Or worse, a reprimand for my relationship with Kogami?_

“The incarceration of latent criminals is a necessity to protect the public good,” Ginoza said. “The delineation between our ranks is our protection. Never underestimate the tenacity or ferocity of our hounds. While they may seem faithful and obedient, they do occasionally bite the hand that feeds them. You would do well to remember that.” Ginoza sipped his tea and set down the cup. “You’re enabling of Kogami’s conduct will only worsen his behavior and make it more difficult for him to complete his duties as an Enforcer.”

Slamming her hand down over his wristcom, Akane blocked the holofeed and forced him to meet her adamant glare. “It’s due in part to Kogami’s conduct that Division 1 currently has the highest success rate in the MWPSB. He’s more in demand than ever before, Inspector Ginoza.”

Ginoza politely retrieved his wristcom from beneath her hand and resumed reading his reports. “If the nurse technician knows what they are doing, it will be over before you know it. If not...well. Be on your guard.” He returned her glare with equal menace. “You should probably take a Dominator with you. It’s always best to be careful and prepared.”

The man Ginoza described was not the one Akane knew. Kogami was so attentive and gentle, and yet she could not deny that there was a ferocity about him. There were many sides to the man she dearly loved—a man that Sybil had deemed a latent criminal. Regardless, Akane was more than willing to stake her bets on him and no one else.

“His appointment is at 11:00am. I sent him a message. I’m sure he’s received it by now. He won’t be happy.” There was loathing in Ginoza’s voice, a contempt that added a hint of ice to the green eyes behind the glasses. “Keep a tight leash. Ultimately, you are responsible for anything your hound does. Is that understood, Inspector Tsunemori?”

“Yes, sir!”

# # # #

Escort Kogami to the Sato Medical Centre for blood work. The task seemed reasonably simple, which gave rise to a sense of anxiety in Akane. When it came to Division 1, no task ever remained simple, and when it came to the MWPSB’s resident Hellhound, Shinya Kogami, simple could be redefined as Herculean. He was still such a mystery to her, one that she could not fathom nor put down, like one would a confounding book.

Despite their increasingly complicated relationship, she had no more real insight into his mind than she did the night they met on her first official case with the PSB. He remained an enigma, but she was dedicated to unraveling the riddle. That was the commitment Akane had made to herself and to the temperamental Enforcer when they crossed the line between professional and personal relationships.

_I crossed the line_ , she thought. _At his invitation. And he was waiting there for me._

From its inception, their relationship had been hard tested by near-death events, political subterfuge, and a myriad of social stigmas. Kogami had adamantly borne the burden to protect Akane and her reputation from any stain. The greatest test of their commitment had been a newly found freedom that Kogami experienced while working undercover with the Los Angeles Police Department. Without the rigid guidance of the Sybil System, the Enforcer had strayed far from the narrow path. He had grown bold, bolder, even reckless, and was finding it difficult to restrain himself.

_Is this what Ginoza is hinting at?_

On the job, they maintained a strictly professional demeanor for sake of propriety and appearances. This was at Kogami’s insistence, but even then the clever Enforcer always found some way to show his affection, whether it was through a look, a subtle smile, or by brushing his hand against hers when they passed in the office. 

When they returned from the United States, he grew distant and was not quite himself. Any affection had to be initiated by her, and while Kogami did not resist her advances, she missed his ardor and his presence. It was as if their relationship had taken a blow, and Ginoza had not helped matters. 

Their relationship was becoming more evident to their coworkers, who seemed accepting of them. But, goaded by a picture of them together that Kogami had sent from LA, the Senior Inspector had made it his mission to uncouple them. Ginoza did everything, within the lines of the law, to tread over the line of civil rights, the few that latent criminals had, to make life as miserable as possible for Kogami. The transgressions were in the name of duty, according to Ginoza, and Kogami had obeyed without exception or question.

_Is that why he’s been so distant?_

The readjustment from the Los Angeles Police Department to the Public Safety Bureau had been difficult. Kogami had a tendency to retreat into himself when he was feeling under duress. His emotions could be so volatile at times that he bottled them up and grew cold. It was his way of coping and maintaining an already unstable hue. To avoid snapping at her or being cruel, he would often keep his distance, emotionally or physically, until whatever had unsettled him had passed.

While Akane wanted to be there for him in such moments, her usual idealistic demeanor only seemed to further irritate him. But that’s how it was with most men, or so Shion had told her when Akane confided in the system analyst one late night over take out. So Akane took the buxom analyst’s advice: when Kogami went to that distant place, she had to leave him to the solitude of his thoughts and wait patiently for his return, just as Penelope waited for Odysseus to return home from the Trojan War.

_That was 20 years_ , Akane thought. _Hope I don’t have to wait that long_.

Due to his prior experience as an Inspector, Kogami was the most effective of the Division 1 Enforcers and was definitely the most difficult to handle. With the fruition of their relationship, it was nearly impossible for Ginoza to run him in the field, and the two would often end up in shouting matches. But Akane had to admit, since returning from the United States, even her hold on the Enforcer was tenuous.

With a deep breath, she made up her mind to be straightforward with him. Pretense was the surest way to upset Kogami, so she would do as she always did. _Be open with him and my expectations._

With a bounce in her step, Akane came around the corner into the Division 1 office. “Morning, Kagari.”

“Oh, hey, Akane,” Kagari replied. He was reaching into a jar of gummie candies.

“Isn’t it a little early for sweets?”

“It’s never too early. Besides I’m too lazy to walk down to the cafeteria for something to eat.” He agonized over the various flavors before taking one of each and popping them into his mouth. 

“Morning, Mr. Masaoka,” Akane said, working her way back toward her desk.

“Morning, Inspector.” The veteran’s inscrutable smile betrayed his concern as he glanced from Akane’s hopeful face to the brooding Enforcer behind him. “Are you here to rally the hounds?”

“Just one,” Akane said. “Morning, Mr. Kogami. Inspector Ginoza wanted me to escort you to—“

“I got the message,” Kogami said curtly. Crushing out his cigarette on the desk, he stood up and snatched his coat from the back of the chair. Without even making eye contact with her, he headed towards the door.

“Take it easy, Ko,” Masaoka said. “The girl’s got orders, just like you do. Remember your place, and don’t give the Inspector a hard time.”

Akane watched Kogami storm out of the office. “Mr. Masaoka?”

“It’s alright, little missy. He’ll come around. He always does, especially for you.”

“Yeah, don’t give up on him like the rest of society has given up on us latent criminals.” Kagari ran a hand through his orange locks. “I tell you, it’s no fun being on this side of the isolation cell glass, Akane.”

Something was amiss. Something they were not telling her. _Because they can’t or because they won’t?_ Akane watched as Kogami walked away from her and down the corridor. He never once looked back over his shoulder to see if she was trailing behind him. The air about the Enforcer was unusually cold, and she shuddered. With a nervous shrug, she went after him.

# # # #

When it came to Shinya Kogami, he was a perfect specimen. At 6’, he was tall, but not overly so. Akane had to stand on tiptoe, hands poised on his broad shoulders, whenever she kissed him. Or he would bow his noble head down from his towering stature to kiss her lips. He seemed so vulnerable in those moments, and she had come to love him for it. 

In the opposite back corner of the elevator, he now stood at a seemingly unreachable, unscalable height. His eyes were gazing off into an indiscernible distance with nothing more to see than the digital control screen ticking off floor numbers. 

_What is this?_ Akane wondered. _What demon is he fighting?_

While not heavily muscled, the Enforcer was powerfully built with the well-defined body of an athlete. The tailored business suits he wore hid that fact, but Akane knew the truth and her heart ached. Though they did maintain a professional distance at work, it was in hidden moments such as the elevator, where Kogami never failed to shower her with some romantic affection. 

She remembered the day when Chief Kasei had summoned them to her office. On the way up, the elevator had stopped operating. Well into her panic, Akane learned that Kogami had prearranged the malfunction with Shion ahead of time, which gave them 20 minutes alone. It was 20 minutes well spent, and Kogami wasted not one second of it. 

Overcome by the memory, Akane bit her lip and pressed her arcing back into the elevator wall to control herself. She longed to be his arms, so that she could lay her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. When it came to stress therapy, running her hands through his tousled black hair never failed to bring her a sense of peace and calm.

He was terribly ticklish, when he wasn’t in a mood, and it was one of the few pleasures she took that could render the Enforcer vulnerable. His laugh was infectious. She might have risked a poke in the ribs to jar him out of this funk, but there was something dangerous about him. It was odd that something so innocuous as having his blood drawn could upset him, a man who waded knee deep in blood to take on any threat posed to her or their colleagues in Division 1.

Akane’s breathing abruptly halted, and she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She was supposed to visit Kogami last night and spend the night with him in his dormitory. A last minute call from her grandmother kept her from their rendezvous. Akane had called him and heard the disappointment in his voice, but he seemed to understand the importance of the matter. When she lingered on the call, it was Kogami who insisted she go attend to her grandmother.

_Is he mad at me?_ The very notion that he might be angry with her was so disturbing that it immediately upset her stomach. While she adored him for the man that he was, she especially enjoyed that he was a compassionate and tender lover, especially her first time. There was a wildness about him that made her toes curl. Initially, Akane feared that her attraction to him was simply curious infatuation, because she was spending more nights in the Enforcer’s dorm room than her own apartment.

Policy stated that an Enforcer could not leave MWPSB headquarters without an Inspector accompanying them. Under the pretense of bringing her work home, Kogami came with her, and it was on these rare occasions that some of the most memorable moments of passion between them had taken place. 

Together, they had christened every room, from the bedroom to the shower to the living room, even the balcony, and spent a particularly unforgettable morning in the kitchen with pancake batter and chocolate chips. 

Akane felt her cheeks growing hot as she relived that blissful morning. Without needing to turn to the elevator’s mirrored walls for proof, she knew that she was blushing profusely. She wanted to cross her legs, but was too afraid her wobbly knees would not hold her. So she clasped her hands in front of her and dug her fingernails into her palms to regain some semblance of self control. Despite her attempts to be inconspicuous, the Dominator at her back rattled noisily against the wall.

Kogami turned his head to look at her through hardened, narrow eyes, but he never uttered a word, not even a curt retort, and then promptly looked away.

Akane took a deep breath and exhaled quietly to avoid his notice. She enjoyed being with him, sleeping with him, even when they were not intimate. He was warm and far more pleasurable than the army of stuffed animals she kept in her bed. When she slept in his arms, her dreams were better than when she slept alone. 

It was difficult to keep her mind on her work when she thought about cuddling up beside him or behind him. She especially loved when he would roll over, pull her into his arms, and just hold onto her. At times, she would awaken to find him staring at her and brushing the hair from her eyes.

This distant, brooding specter was not the same man.

The elevator door opened with a chime, and Kogami walked into the underground parking hub and stood at the curb. Shoulders hunched aggressively forward, he waited in the dimness of the overhead lights for her to come out behind him. When she joined him at curbside, he sighed impatiently. “Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Where’s the car? Or is there a mental care clinic in the back of that paddy wagon?”

“The Sato Mental Care Centre is only a few blocks away,” Akane said. She stepped down off the curb. “It’s such a nice day. I thought we could walk. Might help your mood.”

“Nothing wrong with my mood. You’re just prolonging the inevitable.” Kogami reached into his pocket and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. Taking one from the pack, he put it to his lips and lit it. With a long drag, he exhaled with no regard for the direction of the smoke and stepped off the curb toward the garage exit.

It was a beautiful day, the first to emerge after a week of overcast skies and rain. As a sign that winter was in retreat, the indications of spring were showing in the return of grass and cherry blossoms budding on the branches. Shining through a clear, blue sky, the sun cast a veil of brilliance and warmth over the grounds of Tane Park as citizens enjoyed a return to nature.

Beyond the watchful eyes of their co-workers, Akane reached out for Kogami’s hand. It was a chance to re-establish their connection and a way for her to truly take the Enforcer’s temperature. 

He resisted her show of affection and moved away from her. Head bowed in dejection, Kogami put his hands in his pockets and lengthened his stride.

“How’s your hippotherapy going?”

“Fine.”

“I hear Mr. Kurosawa has signed you and Touch the Sky up for the international qualifier. You might get the chance to go to Olympics, Kogami. That’s wonderful news!”

“Is it?”

Akane clasped her hands in front of her and struggled to push through the emotional anguish welling up inside her. “How is Mi-Yeon doing?”

“Good.”

“Does she love her new pony?”

“Yes.”

“Is she talking more and more?”

“I don’t know.”

“I saw a postcard on your desk. Is it from Phoenix?”

“Yes.”

“Kogami!” Akane yelled at him. She grabbed his sleeve and forced him to stop in the middle of the path. “Why are you so distant? Did I do something to make you angry?”

He glared at Akane as if he didn’t recognize her. Without a reply, he resumed walking in the direction of the clinic. “Why are you asking so many questions?”

_Is this a fight?_ Akane felt her stomach sink. As a couple they had their disagreements, but they had never had a full-fledged fight since making a commitment to be together. Their ability to compromise to each other and his willingness to give had been seamless until this moment.

Crying was always an effective weapon against Kogami, and Akane was hurt enough to let the tears fall from her eyes. Instead, she bit her lip and fought them back. He often chastised her to think and act more like an Enforcer. It was the kind of advice that Ginoza, and even Masaoka, would have warned her against listening to, but with the unwavering stability of her hue, she had used Kogami’s advice to great advantage and had always come out ahead. So she decided to use it now and become as immovable and unrelenting as he was. 

“We’re going to be late,” she said evenly. Teeth clenched together to keep them from chattering, she barked, “Get a move on, Enforcer.”

From beneath the thick forelock of black hair, he stared at her. _Was that surprise in his eyes?_ She could not tell and did not hold his gaze long enough to ascertain his emotions. Before he could see the tears welling in her eyes, she hurried along the path toward the front entrance of the clinic.

# # # #

The Sato Mental Care Centre was situated on the opposite side of Tane Park within sight of the Ministry of Welfare building and several other prominent skyscrapers. Built to blend in with the picturesque landscape of cultured gardens, meditation groves, and cherry trees, the clinic’s modern architecture blended into the natural scenery with neutral, soothing colors that made it look more like a Shinto shrine than a medical facility.

Inside the clinic, a spacious waiting room was packed with a score of people, mostly women, who were patiently sitting in the lounge, relaxing with holos of waterfalls, before being taken back for treatment. The soothing sounds of the ocean and rain could be heard beneath the mellow music of violins, flutes, and glass chimes.

The receptionist, a middle-aged woman wearing a maroon skirt and coat, turned away from her terminal with a gracious smile. Her attention immediately went to Kogami. “Good morning! How may I help you, sir?”

Reading the nameplate on the cubicle wall, Akane bowed politely. “Good morning, Mrs. Dogura.” She was concerned that Kogami’s reply would be less appropriate, if he even replied at all. “My name is Inspector Akane Tsunemori of the Public Safety Bureau.”

Mrs. Dogura’s eyes widened in delight. “Ah, we’ve been expecting you, Inspector Tsunemori. Please come right in and have a seat. I see you’re having some blood work done this morning?”

“Yes,” Akane replied, when Kogami remained silent. She walked into the diminutive room ahead of him and stepped aside as he sat down in the chair beside Mrs. Dogura’s desk.

“Strong, silent type, huh? No worries. We’ve expedited your appointment, but first I have to update your information in the system. Your name, sir?”

“Kogami, Shinya.”

“Place of employment?”

“The Minister of Welfare’s Public Safety Bureau.”

Mrs. Dogura smiled. “It’s always a pleasure to welcome and serve a PSB Inspector, Mr. Kogami.”

Akane saw the corner of his eye twitch and braced herself for a sarcastic response to the misunderstanding.

“I’m an Enforcer.”

The receptionist’s smile faded, less from the misnomer, and more from the menace in Kogami’s voice. “I see. Your identification number please?”

“Why do you insist on asking all these questions? Don’t you have all of this information on file? The answers haven’t changed.”

“Kogami!” Akane said sharply. She pinched the soft fold of flesh just behind his ear, but he did not react. “Don’t take it out on her! Answer the question.”

“Enforcer identification: 00475-AEDF-52510-2.”

Mrs. Dogura’s hands trembled over her tablet keyboard. “Please state your address.” She cringed beneath the Enforcer’s dark eyes. “Nevermind. It’s right here. MWPSB Headquarters. Emergency contact please?”

“Kogami, Tomoyo.” 

“Relation?”

“Mother.” The utterance of his mother’s name momentarily softened the Enforcer’s indignant demeanor. His jawline relaxed, and he bowed his head in resignation.

“And a phone number to reach you?” Something palpable in the Enforcer’s stern eyes made the woman flinch in terror. “Nevermind, that’s in the system, too. Not like an Enforcer has much of a social life, right?” Realizing the impropriety of the comment, Mrs. Dogura shrank away from Kogami. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean anything—”

“Kogami!” Akane stepped between the glaring Enforcer and the receptionist.

Mrs. Dogura reached for a bottle of stress relievers on her desk. She popped three pills into her mouth and swallowed with difficulty. “It’s alright. I’ll just print out the medical bracelet for his visit.” Fear brought a heightened pitch to her voice, and her words ran together like a slightly offbeat song. “If you wouldn’t mind putting this on his left wrist,” she whispered, sheepishly slipping the band over Akane’s shoulder. “He looks a bit upset. I’ll let the nurse technician know you’re here.” Staying behind Akane for protection, the receptionist quickly took flight from the room.

“What is wrong with you?” Akane demanded. Hands on her hips, he leaned over at the waist and glared at Kogami in fury. “Why are you acting like this? Frightening that poor woman for no reason.” She took the medical bracelet and scanned the directions before putting it around his wrist. “I’m starting to see why an Inspector always has to accompany latent criminals—”

“Really, Inspector?” Kogami asked sardonically. “Do you _really_ see what’s happening here? Or is that cheery disposition of yours as clouded as your psycho pass is clear, making it impossible for you to see the truth?”

Sealing the plastic bracelet on his wrist, Akane stepped back and clasped her hands in front of her. “That was rude of me to say, and I apologize.” She bowed to him to assure the Enforcer of her sincerity. 

Kogami rarely challenged her. When he did, it was a test of her resolve to toughen her up like him for the future. _Or is this something else? What am I missing?_

“You’re just like all the rest,” he mumbled.

“And what is that supposed to mean? You, Ginoza, Kagari, Mr. Masaoka, you’re all in on this riddle that I clearly don’t know the answer to!”

“Did you even bother asking Ginoza why he didn’t take the duty himself? He is the Senior Inspector after all.”

“Are you saying I’m not capable of handling you, Mr. Kogami?’

“That which needs to be done is carried out by those capable. Such is the grace bestowed upon mankind by Sibyl, right?” His steel gray eyes narrowed as he mocked her and the system of law they both represented and protected. “You can love the law so deeply because it loves you. Not all of us under the Sibyl System can say that.”

“Inspector Tsunemori?” Mrs. Dogura called from the corridor. “The tech will see you now. Room 3.” She retreated farther into the hallway as Kogami pulled his sleeve down over the bracelet and got up. “It’s the last room on the right. Just down this hallway. “I don’t supposed he wants some mental stress supplements to help stay calm?”

Akane glanced up at Kogami. The brooding Enforcer walked passed her into the corridor. “No, he won’t be needing them.”

“I have to ask, you know?” Warily watching the Enforcer, Mrs. Dogura bowed respectfully to Akane. “The job you must endure to keep us all safe from latent criminals, even the ones who work for us. I cannot thank you enough.”

Akane wanted to shout at her. While it was her duty as an Inspector to keep the general public safe, it was men and women like Kogami, who did the real work! Enforcers put themselves on the line mentally and physically to keep the Inspectors and the public beyond harm’s reach, all at the risk of what little freedom they had left. And when their usefulness to that public waned, they were discarded, locked away in isolation facilities as thanks for their service.

“He’s really not like this,” Akane whispered. “I’m not sure what’s gotten into him. Excuse me.”

# # # #

By the time Akane reached the examination room at the end of the hall, Kogami had shrugged out his business jacket. He sat down on the seat of a medical recliner and neatly laid the coat over his lap. Rolling up his sleeve, he leaned forward on the edge of the chair instead of lying back in comfort and stared at the floor in sullen silence.

“What is happening here, Kogami? What am I failing to see?”

Head bowed in submission, he didn’t answer her. The Enforcer didn’t even look up to acknowledge her question. 

“Kogami?”

“It’s nothing.” The tone of his voice suggested defeat. It was as if the Enforcer were in mourning. That was the only explanation for his behavior. He was deeply hurt by something that had been done to him, and she had inadvertently caused him to suffer even more by not understanding, and possibly preventing, his pain. 

Akane wanted to hold him in her arms and tell him that everything was going to be fine. She would be there for him. No matter what he was going through, he wasn’t alone. But when she reached out to caress his cheek, Kogami turned away from her.

Voice cracking, Akane whispered, “Ko—”

“Good morning!” Dressed in pink scrubs, the nurse technician came through the door carrying a medical tray. Near the crown of her head, her platinum blond hair was tied in twin pony tails that were long enough to flit about her shoulders like a dragonfly as she walked. No more than a year older than Akane, the fresh-faced tech laid the medical tray on the table beside the recliner and reviewed the file against the information on his bracelet. “Mr. Shinya Kogami, you’re here for a bit of blood work.” Grinning inanely in his face, her manner toward him was rude, disrespectful, as if she were talking to an animal. “My name is Nurse Nao. Be a good boy, and I’ll have a lollipop for you. Might even let you chose the flavor.”

The Enforcer’s glare was incendiary, but the tech didn’t notice. She was too busy stroking his muscular forearm, while pressing on the crook for an accessible vein. “Hmm,” Nurse Nao hummed, “you’d think this was my first day on the job.”

“Is it?” Kogami asked.

She never hesitated nor looked up when she answered him. “As a matter of fact, it’s only my second day on the job. Could you lie back in the lounger please. Can’t have you fainting on the floor while we draw your blood. Wouldn’t look good on my evaluation, would it?”

Kogami’s jaw muscles tightened as he clenched his teeth. Obediently, he laid back on the medical chair as Nao reached for a butterfly needle.

Nao swabbed his arm with alcohol and set the gauze strip aside on her tray. “Just a little prick here.” She stabbed him with the needle.

Never looking away, Kogami watched intently. His eyes momentarily widened in shock and then narrowed with indignation when the tech began pulling the needle in and out of his arm. Having missed the intended vein, she went fishing to find it. While steady, her hand moved as if she were stitching a piece of clothing.

Akane felt nauseous and put her hands over her mouth. She could not look away even as Nao jammed the needle in and out of Kogami’s arm while simultaneously moving it from one drastic angle to another. 

“So sorry,” Nao said. Her voice was high-pitched and nasally. “I missed the one I was aiming for apparently. Slippery little eel.” She kept fishing with the needle without any regard for the distress and pain she was causing. “Well, that was disappointing.” The nurse technician retreated, pulling the needle from his flesh. She swabbed his bleeding arm, applied pressure with a cotton swab, and reached for a band-aid. “You are in luck! We got the cutest Hello Kitty band-aids in this morning.” 

Kogami raised his head to glare at the tech. With disbelief in his eyes, he turned to Akane for some assistance. 

“Nurse Nao?” Akane said.

“One minute, sweetie,” Nao replied. With the clinical disregard of a coroner inspecting a corpse, the occupied tech took Kogami’s hand and examined it while insistently poking at his skin. “I’m not having much luck with arms today, but I am very good with hands. Let’s give this another shot, shall we?”

Akane dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. “Nurse Nao?”

Hovering over the top of Kogami’s hand with a fresh butterfly needle, the technician gave no warning and roughly inserted the needle beneath the skin. “Oh, I know. Owie, owie,” she tsked sarcastically, when Kogami flinched slightly. “There we are. No pain, no progress, right?” 

A slow trickle of blood travelled through the attached tube, but it barely filled the vial. To facilitate a faster stream, Nao wiggled the needle in the vein in an attempt to maneuver it into a better position. She pulled the needle upward, prying up the vein and Kogami’s skin.

Akane felt her mouth watering with the threat of nausea. “You’re done here. Please stop.”

“Excuse me?” Nurse Nao kept raising the needle against the skin, but no more blood came through the tube. “Oh, this just won’t do.” The technician callously removed the needle and prepared a third one.

“Nurse Nao, perhaps there’s someone with a little more experience available?” Akane asked. There was no polite way to put it.

Nao smiled smiled at her. “Oh, he can handle it. Third times the charm, right? If I can’t get his blood then, I’ll call for Dr. Tomikawa.”

Remembering her conversation with Ginoza, Akane leaned over Kogami to prevent the nurse from taking his other arm for inspection. If there was any fear in the public perception of Enforcers, she intended to use it to her advantage. “Miss Nao, I’m an MWPSB Inspector.” She flashed her holo credentials. “This man is an MWPSB Enforcer, deeply disturbed. I don’t think you want to cloud his hue any more than you already have.” Akane slightly twisted her waist to show the menacing Dominator holstered at her back.

“An Enforcer?” Nao’s eyes swept up every inch of Kogami’s tall frame from his feet to his dark eyes. “But the paperwork said he was a patient from a nearby isolation facility.“

“The Public Safety Bureau doesn’t make a habit of sending an Inspector out with private citizens. Now is there someone else who can take care of this?”

Hands visibly shaking, Nurse Nao slowly stepped away from Kogami as he sat up in the recliner and glared at her. “I s-see.” Eyes wide in fear, she stumbled into the wall cabinet. The contents rattled noisily from the impact as vials and bottles fell against the metal shelving inside and banged the glass. “I’ll see if Dr. Tomikawa is available.” With a muffled squeal, she ran into the corridor.

Realizing that she had been holding her breath, Akane exhaled. “Kogami, is this what Kagari meant when he said it was no fun living on this side of the isolation cell glass?”

“Maybe,” Kogami whispered.

“Did you know this was going to happen?” 

“And if I did?” 

“It would certainly explain your behavior.” Akane dabbed at his bleeding hand with the swab and, taking a cotton ball, applied another band-aid. Struggling to find some levity in the situation, she stroked his arm. “The Hello Kitty band-aids are a nice touch. Pink is your color.” She smoothed down the ends of the band-aid. “Though the _o_ is missing on this one. It just says Hell Kitty.”

“That’s embarrassing.” Despite his lingering, dark mood, Kogami snorted softly, and the first, true hint of a smile curled in the corners of his mouth. “Ginoza didn’t explain it to you, did he?” 

“Inspector Ginoza is not always forthcoming, not always the best mentor,” Akane whispered. “You and the other Enforcers have never failed me. What am I missing here?”

Averting his gaze by staring into his hands, Kogami sighed. “When people are subjected to certain medical procedures, even something as low-key as blood work, their stress levels climb dramatically.” He glared at the band-aids on his arm. “No research is needed to understand why. To protect people from that anxiety, Sybil doesn’t allow entry level or inexperienced medical personnel to work with the public for fear of clouding their hues. Latent criminals are sent instead. We’re no better than lab rats.”

“Makes sense now. You’re mood, I mean.” Akane ran a hand through his black hair. This time, he did not move away from her touch and even laid his head on her shoulder. “For all its good works, Sybil certainly has a sinister side.”

Akane kissed his cheek. Closing her eyes, she let his tousled black hair tickle her skin. If even for a moment, she glimpsed the real him through the steely gray eyes before they hardened again, and the impenetrable glare returned. 

“Is there a problem?” asked a man in scrubs from the doorway.

“My name is Inspector Akane Tsunemori of the PSB. Doctor Tomikawa, I presume?” If menace was Kogami’s best sword, politeness was hers. Akane bowed respectfully to the physician.

“Yes, I am Dr. Tomikawa, and this is my clinic.”

“Nurse Nao seemed to be having difficulty this morning. Working with Enforcers can be a troubling endeavor.” She put her hand on Kogami’s shoulder and gently squeezed. “Their hues are already quite clouded, but this man is returning from a particularly dangerous case. No need to risk escalating his crime coefficient any more than it is.”

Tomikawa crossed his arms over his chest and peered passed her to Kogami. “How many times did she stick you?”

“Twice,” Kogami replied. “And was going for a third.”

“Did she do the fishing thing?” Tomikawa gestured with his hand to model the egregious act. Taking Kogami’s nod as his acknowledgement of the deed, he pursed his lips and shook his head in embarrassment. “Completely understandable.” He signaled for the nurse technician, who was hiding in the hallway, to bring another medical tray. 

“Thank you for understanding,” Akane said with a respectful bow.

“I’ve never agreed with using latent criminals as practice for new techs. They should be using each other. But my voice is not enough to bring a change. Even the mentally ill have rights under a good moral code. I’ll make a note on his chart. This won’t ever occur again at my facility. You have my word on that.”

Kogami seemed visibly relieved, but the blood work still needed to be done. Akane felt him tense when the doctor set the tray down on the table beside the medical recliner.

Examining the band aids on Kogami’s arm and hand, Tomikawa shook his head and frowned. “You’ve already been through the gamut today. Shall we take the sting out of this and try something a bit unconventional?”

“Unconventional?” Kogami asked.

With a mischievous smile, Tomikawa reached for a tank marked N2O and a face mask. “Consider this to be an adult lollipop for your good behavior. Ever try laughing gas?”

Kogami frowned. “You want to put me under? I’m not afraid of needles, as long as the person stabbing me knows what they’re doing.”

“I have no doubt of that, but I’m sure your stress levels are running high, even for you,” the physician explained. “In the right mixture, nitrous oxide will simply relax you, Mr. Kogami. Shall we give it a try?”

“Alright. Can’t hurt.” Kogami laid back in the chair and rolled up his other sleeve.

“Inspector, if you will assist?” He handed the breathing apparatus to Akane. “Press this lightly over his face and nose. Just enough to maintain a good seal. Mr. Kogami, slow deep breaths.” Tomikawa toggled the tank controls and monitored the amounts of nitrous and oxygen being used. “Just relax and let the gas strip away any and all reservations.”

“Is that a good idea?”

“Oh, it’s quite safe, Inspector Tsunemori. I can increase the amount of oxygen, which negates the effects of the nitrous. This leads to a diluted effect of the mixture and allows the patient to remain balanced, in control, but still calm. Did you know that while laughing gas is safe and effective to use, prolonged exposure can lead to unconsciousness and even death,” he prattled on. “Still, it’s one of the most effective methods to soothe stress and sedate patients. An approved treatment protocol recommended by the Ministry of Welfare itself. There was a journal article I once read about it—”

“Doctor Tomikawa?” Akane watched as Kogami’s eyes fluttered on the verge of closing. She laid her hand on his chest and felt the Enforcer’s body go limp beneath her fingers. “He’s only here for a blood draw, not to get his wisdom teeth out.”

“Ah, that’s right. I sometimes get distracted by the particular technical aspects of the job.”

An unobtrusive alarm sounded in the clinic. “Is that a fire alarm?” Akane asked.

“Actually,” Tomikawa said, looking over his medical tray, “it’s a cymatic scanner alert. Someone’s hue has become clouded in the waiting area.”

She looked at him in disbelief. “Isn’t that cause for some concern?”

“Not really, Inspector. Think about what we do here. People’s stress levels tend to elevate all the time when coming to the clinic. It’s why they come—to get help for their stress. We have countermeasures in place such as mental care supplements and even over the counter sedatives.” He reached for the nozzles of the laughing gas and turned them off. “Don’t want to over do it, now do we? You can remove the mask.” 

Deftly, with far more skill than the nurse technician, Tomikawa inserted the butterfly needle into Kogami’s arm. The Enforcer barely stirred as the physician filled three vials without incident. Removing the needle, he shook the vials vigorously after attaching the corresponding labels. “All done. Now for the hard part.”

“The hard part?”

“Deciding on a band-aid. Naruto or Hello Kitty? But I see Mr. Kogami already has a running theme.” Tomikawa applied a third Hello Kitty band-aid to Kogami’s arm.

“Strip away...any and all reservations,” Kogami mumbled deliriously.

“That’s right, Mr. Kogami. In our modern society, there’s never a need to live in stress.”

Akane brushed a hand through Kogami’s hair. “How long will the effects of the gas last, doctor?”

“Considering his prowess as an Enforcer, I might have gone a little heavy with the dosage. It’s different for every individual.” He gently lifted Kogami’s eyelid and flashed a light into his eye. “I’d be careful with him, Inspector. He’s likely to say or do something to embarrass himself.” Patting the semi-conscious Enforcer on the shoulder, Tomikawa chuckled. “Good part is, he might not remember most of it by the time the gas wears off.”

Above the chime of the cymatic alarm, there was a commotion in the hallway and a rush of hushed, harried voices. “There’s an Inspector from the MWPSB here,” Mrs. Dogura said. “She has an Enforcer with her. Let them deal with it.” Pale and clearly frightened, she came to the doorway of the examination room.

“What’s the meaning of this, Mrs. Dogura?” Dr. Tomikawa said. “I’m with a patient.”

“Dr. Tomikawa, there’s an distraught man in the waiting area. He refused to take any of the offered mental care supplements. He’s been waiting for over an hour because he was so worked up over having his blood drawn.”

“And?”

“Well, he’s set off the cymatic scan, Dr. Tomikawa.”

“And? Mrs. Dogura, I see no reason to interrupt me while I’m working with a patient.”

“He’s taken a hostage, doctor. Our own Nurse Nao. He’s threatening to harm her.”

“What? Over blood work?”

“He recently got a new job, but has to submit to a drug test.” Clutching her hands together in terror, Mrs. Dogura looked at Akane. “Inspector, please, you have to help us.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll handle this,” Kogami said. He sat up, nearly throwing himself off the recliner. Putting his arm in the wrong sleeve, the Enforcer tried to shrug into his jacket. “I’m an Enforcer.” He pointed to Akane. “She’s an Inspector. We’re MWPSB.”

“Kogami, you’re in no shape to engage a suspect.”

“Never felt better.” Before Akane could get a hold of him, Kogami was already moving down the corridor and into the waiting area.

“Kogami, wait!” Akane ran after him.

Cowering from the perpetrator, a dozen terrified women were huddled into the innermost recesses of the waiting room. With spittle foaming in the corners of his mouth, the distraught man stood at the clinic entrance and kept them herded away from any possible escape. Behind a pair of dark, horn-rimmed glasses, his eyes were glazed over in fear and desperation. Nurse Nao was trapped under his arm, pinned against him, while he held a pen to her neck. 

Seeing Kogami, Nao reached out to him. “Mr. Kogami, please—” She yelped as the frightened man grabbed her, securing his grip, and jammed the pen point into the soft folds of her neck. “Mr. Koike,” Nao whimpered, “please be reasonable.” 

“Hey,” Kogami said calmly. “That’s no way to treat a lady. Look at all the scared women in here. All you need to do is relax and strip away any and all of your reservations.” Kogami cued up a song on his wristcom and dialed up the volume to the device limit. The deep, pulsating bass of Ginuwine’s _Pony_ reverberated through the clinic’s waiting room.

_“I’m just a bachelor. I’m looking for a partner.”_

Oblivious of the danger to himself or the hostage, Kogami walked up to the man as if they were on a stage and struck a seductive pose for the women. Half crouched down, he slowly thrust his hips back and forth in the air, while suggestively rubbing his hands up and down the insides of his muscular thighs.

“ _Someone who knows how to ride. Without even falling off._ ”

The Enforcer walked up to an older woman, who had taken shelter behind a large, hanging planter. She was dressed in a formal, black kimono and sandals. Cowering beneath her tiny hands, the woman gasped as Kogami threw open his jacket. Pulling it from side to side sensually, he bent down to meet her astonished eyes as he mouthed the words to the song. 

Frozen in fright and distress, the older woman’s face paled dramatically. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fainted. Three women caught her before she could land on the hard tile floor and laid her safely down by the wall.

Her overwrought reaction did not stop Kogami, but his behavior had stopped everything in the room, including the distraught patient.

“Oh, no,” Akane gasped. “Is this because of the nitrous oxide? Kogami?”

“Well, well, well,” Dr, Tomikawa said. He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “I’ve seen some odd behavior from the laughing gas, but never anything like this. This could be a new breakthrough in stress therapy. Women,” he said with an admiring smile, “and men.”

“ _Gotta be compatible. Take me to my limits._ ” 

Kogami jumped onto a nearby chair and straddled a woman sitting there. Running his hands through her long black hair, he stood over her and sensually peeled out of his jacket while gyrating his hips. He swung the coat over his head several times before letting it fly into the crowd of stunned women. 

“ _Girl when I freak you out. I promise that you won’t want to get off._ ” 

Dancing in front of her, Kogami jumped down and loosened his tie. Deftly, he swung his leg in a perfect crescent kick over her head and, turning his back to her, he sat down in her lap, shaking his hips over her thighs.

“ _If your horny, let’s do it. Ride it, my pony. My saddle’s waiting. Come on jump on it._ ”

Standing up, Kogami took the young woman’s hand. Though her face was fully crimson, she did not resist. He dropped to his knees and then laid back onto the floor, pulling her out of the chair. Off balance, she fell on top of him. 

Cradling her in his lap, Kogami sat up abruptly and reversed their positions. He gently laid her on the floor where he straddled her and ripped open his shirt. He reared back and flexed his abdominal muscles. In wonderment, the young woman took her trembling hand and ran her fingers over the taut muscles before lying back down beneath him. Though she tried to cover her face, she could not hide the immense smile spreading across her lips.

Kogami took both of her hands and rubbed them across his chest before pulling her out from beneath him and standing her up on her own feet. The Enforcer got to his knees in front of her and playfully tucked his fingers into the waistline of her pants as he pulled her closer to him.

“Kogami!” Akane felt her cheeks flush. Body warmed with passion, she was no better than the women in the room gawking at him. “Kogami, stop this!”

“ _Just once if I have the chance. The things I will do to you_.”

In response to her order, Kogami held his hand up with three fingers poised and then began a countdown. When the final finger went down, he stood up and shrugged out of his shirt. The only stitch of clothing he had on were his pants and tie, which dangling across his bare chest. Sensually wiping his chest and torso with his shirt, he shook it in the air to release the wrinkles and wrapped it around the young woman’s shoulders. 

She clutched the shirt tightly about her and started to cry as she collapsed to the floor overcome. Tears glistening on her cheeks, she laid her head on his thigh while the Enforcer continued to dance before her, swaying from side to side.

“ _You and your body. Every single portion._ ”

Kogami was more than just fit for an Enforcer. As a result of a meticulous martial arts regimen and working out, he had a lean body that was sculpted into a powerful, muscular frame. From the sinewy caps of his shoulders to the well-defined 8-pack of his abdominal muscles to the irresistible vee of his svelte waist. 

Unbuckling his belt and the top button of his pants, he walked through the clinic’s waiting room and flexed his stomach, shoulders, and arms for their admiration. It was an open invitation for the onlookers to touch him. Caught in the performance, the Enforcer took a bottle of water from one woman and, as he poured it across his chest.

“You work with _him_?” asked a nurse near Akane.

All Akane could do was nod. Dominator in hand, she could not employ the weapon because Kogami kept getting in between her and the perpetrator, who stood in obvious shock along with the other women in the room.

“Are there any openings in the PSB?”

“I think they’re looking for med techs.”

“My application will be in tonight. Can I use you as a reference?”

Kogami turned to another woman, who was half-heartedly cowering in a chair. Showing his strength, he picked her and the chair up in one movement and lifted them to shoulder height. 

“ _If you’re horny, let’s do it. Ride it, my pony_.” 

He dropped the chair, momentarily frightening her, and caught her in his arms. With her legs draped over his shoulders, he leaned back toward the floor, perching her on his great chest. Astonished by his strength, she held onto his shoulders with an inane smile on her face.

“ _My saddle’s waiting. Come and jump on it._ ” 

As if she were weightless, Kogami threw the woman’s legs on to one shoulder and carried her body like a sack of potatoes. She squealed in utter delight, even as he let her slide upside down over his chest and held her above the floor. With her head dangling below his waistline, he moved his hips from side to side in her face. Holding her tightly by the waist, he balanced her in front of him and set her down on her feet, while brushing his hips lewdly against her behind.

“ _Send chills up and down your spine. Juices flowing down your thigh._ ”

Akane’s wristcom alerted with an urgent message. “ _Elevated area stress level warning. Multiple psycho passes above the regulation value have been detected in your vicinity. The on-duty Inspector and available Enforcers are immediately required for intervention at the scene.”_

Akane slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead and shook her head. “I’m never going to live this one down.” 

“Mr. Enforcer, over here! Over here!” The waiting room was a sea of waving arms, hands, and 1000¥ notes. 

“Pick me!”

“No, pick me!”

Kogami swung around to the nearest admirer. He picked her up and rubbed her thighs as she wrapped her legs tightly about his torso. As she circled her arms about his neck, the Enforcer vigorously bounced her up and down and walked over to a desk. Knocking everything off the desktop, he laid her on top of it and crawled on top of her. She gasped in delight and held onto his shoulders while he thrusted his hips suggestively above her.

“ _If we’re gonna get nasty, baby. First we’ll show and tell. ‘Till I reach your ponytail._ ”

When Kogami tried to pull away from her, the woman grabbed his tie and brought him back down on top of her. Taking a 1000¥ note offered by a spectator, she unabashedly shoved the money into the exposed waistline of his underwear.

“ _Until we reach the stream. You’ll be on my jockey team._ ”

Kogami glanced over his shoulder to Koike. “You’re not doing a very good job. Why are your clothes still on?” Leaving his breathless admirer on the desk, he walked up to the stunned man and snatched the hostage away from him. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

“ _If you’re horny, let’s do it. Ride it, my pony. My saddle’s waiting. Come on and jump on it._ ”

With a roguish smile, Kogami took Nao down to the floor and rotated his hips in a grinding motion in the air as he held himself in a plank position over top of her. In shock, the nurse technician closed her eyes and gasped. Cheering them on, the women behind them shouted their approval and waved banknotes.

The would-be hostage taker stood slack-jawed and helpless. “W-wait, you c-can’t just—”

“MWPSB, you’re under arrest!” Akane shouted. She pointed the Dominator at the frazzled man.

“ _Crime Coefficient 112. Enforcement action required. The trigger safety is now released. Aim calmly and subdue the target._ ”

As the music finished, Akane pulled the trigger. A blue bolt erupted from the .45 and struck Koike in the chest. He groaned loudly, but no one seemed to be aware of him.

Kogami stared at the perp as he collapsed to the floor beside him. He got to his feet and helped Nurse Nao to a chair. She held onto his arms and laid her head against his bare chest, while rubbing her cheeks over his skin. “Guess he couldn’t keep up. Sorry, ladies.” 

The Enforcer was abruptly inundated by a crowd of desirous female admirers, waving 1000¥ notes in their hands, as they all vied for his attention.

The front doors of the Sato Mental Care Centre were swarmed with MWPSB drones. Kagari and Masaoka rushed into the waiting room with Dominators drawn. They were followed by Kunizaka and Inspector Ginoza. Speechless, the members of Division 1 watched the mob of women swarming a half-naked Kogami in a nearby corner. 

“Would you look at that sly dog,” Masaoka said with a chuckle.

“I’m looking! Hey, Ko! Did you save a few scraps for me?”

Taken aback by the chaotic scene, Ginoza’s face darkened with disappointment. “Care to explain, Inspector Tsunemori?”

“Inspector Ginoza,” Akane said.

“It’s really not her fault,” Tomikawa interrupted. “Neither of them actually.”

“And you are?”

“Dr. Tomikawa, the head physician of this clinic. Mr. Kogami is currently under the effects of nitrous oxide.”

“Laughing gas?” Ginoza scowled, shoving his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Congratulations, Inspector Tsunemori, you’ve allowed Kogami to singlehandedly create a psycho hazard in this ward.” 

“That might well be true,” Dr. Tomikawa said, “but his efforts and Inspector Tsunemori’s were nothing short of heroic. The report to my superiors will reflect that fact.”

“Understood, Dr. Tomikawa,” Ginoza said evenly. “Masaoka, you and Kagari need to escort Kogami out of the clinic. Inspector Tsunemori, take Kunizaka. You’re crowd control. No one leaves here until they’ve been treated or properly committed to a facility for aftercare.”

# # # #

The afternoon sun was warm, despite a cool breeze blowing across the park walkways. Children played tag in and around the playground equipment 50 yards off the main path, while vendors sold noodles, miso soup, and other sundry items in an organized food court nearby. Except for the line of MWPSB drones stationed at the entrance of the Sato Mental Care Centre, there was no unusual activity in the vicinity as Akane stepped outside.

More than a dozen familiar Komissa-chan, the mascots of the CID, created a perimeter around the clinic. Bouncing subtly from side to side with playful eyes and pleasant smiles, the holos were projected by the MWPSB drones within them. “ _Your attention please. This is the Criminal Investigation Department of the Public Safety Bureau. For your protection, access to this area is currently restricted under a temporary order. This message will now repeat_.”

Kogami was sitting on a wooden bench a few yards from the entrance with his coat draped over shoulders. Having come down from the effects of the laughing gas, he looked dejected and humiliated. Mortified by his actions, he hung his head in shame and buried his face in his hands. Kagari was on his knees in front of Kogami, bowing repeatedly at the humbled Enforcer’s feet.

“Ko, how’d you do it?” He bowed, touching his forehead on the cold pavement. “Those women are so in love with you. One of them is a lawyer. She’s threatening to sue the Ministry of Welfare to improve the rights of latent criminals who work as Enforcers. Aren’t we friends?” Kagari clasped his hands over his chest before bowing again. “I’ll be your Sith padawan. Whatever you want me to be. I’ll cook for you. Every night. Just show me how to make women fall in love with me like that.”

“Kagari,” Akane said sternly, “if Kogami doesn’t punch you, I will.” When the kneeling Enforcer did not move, she bumped him with the side of her foot and knocked him over. “Get back in there. Inspector Ginoza was looking for you.”

“I never get to have any of the real fun.” Disappointed and torn by rebellion, Kagari got to his feet. “We’ll talk later. Right, Ko?” He ran back a step to avoid another kick from Akane and returned to the clinic.

Akane stood in front of Kogami, not sure what to say to him. She rubbed his shoulders and brushed the thick forelock from his eyes. “Cold?”

“No.”

“I tried to get your shirt back, but whoever has it won’t confess. I’m not sure they would give it up willingly.” Not wanting to tease the embarrassed Enforcer, Akane bit her lip, unable to resist the opportunity. “But seeing how you made nearly 500,000¥, buying another shirt won’t be a problem.”

Eyes wide with bewilderment, Kogami looked up at her. “Did you say 500,000¥?” 

Akane nodded to him with a coy smile. “Nurse Nao is setting up a fund for you. Ginoza protested, of course, but than an attorney threatened to get involved.” She bit her lip to keep from laughing. “He has no choice but to let you keep the money or risk a lawsuit.”

Kogami rubbed a hand over his face and chuckled. His cheeks flushed deep crimson with humiliation. “The Hellhound of Division 1 reduced to a drooling puppy by laughing gas.”

Akane was pleased to hear him laugh, but knew it was a defensive reaction to the unusual nature of the situation. “How are you feeling?”

“How am I supposed to feel, Inspector? I don’t remember most of the last half hour. I’ve got Kagari kneeling in front of me like I’m some Shinto deity. Kunizaka can’t look at me without blushing. Shion sent me a text that said: Attaboy! And the only thing Masaoka can manage to say to me is, ‘You sly dog.’”

“Did you see the surveillance footage?”

Pursing his lips into a thin line, Kogami slowly nodded his head. “Ginoza made a point of showing it to me in its entirety.” He anxiously ran his fingers through his hair and scratched at his scalp. “He can’t even speak to me, not even to reprimand me. I think that’s a first.”

Akane stooped down in front of him and brushed the hair from his face. “None of this was your fault, Kogami. Dr. Tomikawa has already made a full report to his superiors. Chief Kasei—”

“Chief Kasei is going to put me in a meat grinder.” Massaging the bridge of his nose, Kogami sighed despondently. “And from what I gather, there are plenty of angry husbands and boyfriends who want to help her. They’re threatening to sue the MWPSB for the mental stress suffered by their loved ones today.” He sat back and shook his head in moral resignation. “They’re more worried about me than the man who took a hostage and threatened the lives of their family members.”

The front doors to the clinic burst open. Masaoka and Kagari struggled to contain a trio of women as they tried to escape from the quarantined clinic. With 1000¥ notes waving in their hands, they called, “Mr. Enforcer! Encore!”

“Yes, please, another dance!”

“Mr. Enforcer!”

With difficulty, the on-site Enforcers took the three women back inside and closed the doors.

“Did Ginoza fail to mention the 100 or so calls from women eager to hire the MWPSB Enforcer who strips for their private parties?” Unable to hide her amusement, Akane stood up and put her finger to her chin as if in deep thought. “Not to mention the medical bay has received an influx of job applications. Enough to cause the system to overload and shut down.”

“Not you, too.” Kogami buried his hands in his face and groaned.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.” Akane rubbed her hands across his shoulders and then ran her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. “You looked good though.”

Eyes narrowed he stared up at her, but seeing the sincerity in her face, his expression softened. “I did?”

“I’d be lying, if I said I wasn’t a little jealous,” she replied, taking his hand in hers. “You’ve never danced like that for me.”

“You’d like that?”

Akane ran a finger over his brow. “I’d love to see that. Privately. So I can have you all to myself.” She heard his breathing change, quickening and deepening. “And lucky for you, I picked up groceries and had plans to make hamburgers for dinner tonight.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she said, now tracing the outline of his lips and chin. “There’s going to be a lot of paperwork on this case. So, I think it might be best if you came over for a _working_ dinner. What do you think?”

“You’re really not mad. I’ve been awful today. You didn’t deserve any of that.”

“For not knowing what Ginoza was up to, yes I did. For not knowing what you were going through, I’m as much a part of the problem as the system is. I don’t get a pass.” Akane squeezed his fingers to reassure him of her sincerity. “You’re not a lab rat, Kogami. There are people who count on you, rely on you, and love you. I’m one of them.”

“You always get a pass, Akane.” He kissed her fingers. The warmth of his breath on her knuckles brought a smile to her lips.

“So it’s settled. Dinner tonight at my place and paperwork.”

“I like paperwork at your place. It’s relaxing.”

“As relaxing as laughing gas?”

Crestfallen by the unexpected taunt, Kogami threw his head back onto his shoulders and closed his eyes. A fresh hue of crimson rose in his cheeks. “I’m not laughing, Inspector.”

Akane stood over him. With him seated, she could gaze down into his face. With no regard for who might be watching, she kissed him, lingering over his lips and chin. “This is no laughing matter, Enforcer Kogami. I will expect as rigorous a performance tonight as what the public saw here today.”

“That sounds like a challenge, Inspector.”

“Are you up for it?”

Kogami stood up, looking down at her and then rested his forehead against hers. “What’s for dessert?”

“Do you have something in mind?”

“I was thinking it could involve chocolate chips.”

“I don’t have any more pancake batter.” She brushed her chest against his arm and pressed herself against him. “But we can stop and pick some up.”

“We could, but I was really hoping to try that brownie mix in the cabinet.”

Akane laughed out loud.“Shinya Kogami, you really are a wolf.” She ran her hands across his face. “Let’s get you back to headquarters to clean up and get our paperwork in order,” Akane said. “Something tells me it’s going to be a long night.”


End file.
